Month: August 2019

Flash Fiction Fridays – Their Firstborn

Ariel Paiement

This week’s flash fiction is about Banach and Rith. Here, we get to see the couple that’s the main focus of Rith’s Disciple (coming out in late 2019/early 2020) as they share the joy of discovering they’re going to be parents.

~~~

Banach pressed a hand to her flat stomach and stared at the midwife. “You’re certain?”

The midwife smiled. “Sweetheart, you missed three monthly courses, and you’re fitter than most. I’m positive.”

She looked down at her bare belly. “Really?”

“I can sense the life, my dear. So, yes, really. Isn’t it good news?”

Of course it was. She’d been hoping for this for so long. But at the same time, it was still a shock. She was going to be a mother. A mother? It just didn’t seem possible. But the midwife had confirmed it. And she knew Ranwen was skilled. She wouldn’t misread her patient’s condition.

“My lady?”

She looked up at Ranwen and blinked. “Sorry. It’s just a shock. But it’s good news. Definitely good news.” A tiny smile lifted the corners of her lips. “How far along is it?”

“He’ll be four months along in two weeks.”

“But I’m barely showing. It just looks like I gained a little extra weight.” How was that even possible? It must be if Ranwen said that was the baby’s age. It certainly explained why she hadn’t noticed until now.

Ranwen smiled and patted her shoulder. “It happens sometimes. Don’t you worry. The baby is perfectly fine. But you need to take it easy. I’ll make you a tincture for the queasiness, but I can’t do much for the fatigue. Tell that husband of yours to make sure you rest.”

Banach slipped off the examiner’s bench with a smile. “He’s been particularly careful with me since I got sick. I’m sure knowing that it’s the baby will be a relief. I swear, the man thought I was dying.”

That earned a laugh from Ranwen. “He’s just overprotective and a little too sweet for his own good.”

She grinned. Her husband was certainly that. Funny how she’d once distrusted him so much. Now she couldn’t even imagine believing he would hurt her. “He definitely is. I’m sure I’ll be bundled in blankets and treated like china once he finds out I’m carrying his baby.” She sighed. “It’ll be bed rest for me, for sure.”

Ranwen snorted. “It most certainly will not. You need fresh air and moderate exercise in addition to plenty of rest and solid nutrition. If he tries that, you come to me, and I’ll straighten him out like I would my own son.”

She would. Ranwen had known Rith since before he became king of Faelkish. She didn’t take any nonsense from anyone, and she wasn’t afraid to give even the king a piece of her mind. Probably because she never did see him as a king as much as she saw him as the young man she had mothered after they’d arrived on Alcardia. “I’ll do that. And I’m going to tell him you told me to tell you if he’s babying me too much.” She grinned. “He might be commanding and regal with everyone else, but I swear he’s like a big baby when it comes to your scoldings.”

Ranwen shrugged. “Eh, the boy knows what’s good for him. Now, go on, or you’ll be late for lunch. You have something to tell him that can’t wait.”

Banach’s grin widened. “Absolutely. I’ll see you around, then?”

“Every two weeks until that baby comes, you hear?”

“Yes, ma’am.” She hurried to the door. “Thanks, Ranwen.”

“Any time. Congratulations.”

She shot Ranwen a smile and then rushed out the door. Her hand drifted back to her belly. They’d been trying for so long, but now they finally had a baby on the way. And a boy too. Her body felt weightless, and she wondered if it were possible to float due to happiness. It certainly felt like that was what she was doing.

Before she knew it, she’d arrived at the small dining room she and Rith used for private meals. The door was already open, and she could see her husband seated at the end of the table while the servants bustled about laying out the meal. She crossed the threshold and went to stand beside Rith.

He smiled at her. “You’re practically bubbling over. What happened? Good news at the appointment?”

She leaned down and pressed her lips to his for a second before sitting down at the spot beside him. “Very.”

“Ranwen knew what was wrong, I take it.” His brow furrowed. “Was she able to solve the problem?”

“Nope.” Banach helped herself to a plate of meat and cheese. For some reason, she’d found this was the one thing she could keep down consistently and always seemed to want. Maybe it had to do with the baby.

“No?” Rith’s frown deepened.

She smiled at him and started on her food.

“I don’t understand. If she can’t solve the problem, then why are you happy?”

“Because we don’t want to be rid of this problem.” She glanced over at him, fought the laughter bubbling up inside of her.

“Don’t need to be—” Rith reached out to press a hand to her forehead. “You don’t have a fever. Bane, what’s going on? You’re not making any sense.”

A laugh did escape her then. “I’m not sick, Rith.” She stood.

He pushed his chair back and turned toward her. “You’ve been queasy and tired all the time. Of course you’re sick.”

She shook her head and went to stand between his legs. “Not sick.” Taking his hand, she pressed it to her abdomen. “Expecting.”

His frown faded, and he stared up at her. For a minute, he didn’t say anything, and she wondered if he was happy. She was sure he was. It was probably just shock. He’d wanted a child for as long as she had. Probably longer since he’d been thinking about marriage and children long before he’d asked her. And he’d done a poor job of disguising his thoughts. Sort of like now. His thoughts slipped past his barriers even as he continued to stare at her without a word. I’m going to be a father?

Banach sat in his lap with a laugh. Yes. We’re going to be parents. I couldn’t believe it at first either.

He stroked her abdomen with a soft laugh. “Did Ranwen know the gender?”

She rested her head against his shoulder. “It’s a boy.”

“Do you think he’ll look like you?”

“I hope not. Do you have any idea how many of the people from your world thought I was a witch?”

“They’re old souls. The people here know better.”

“All the same, I’d prefer he has your hair.”

He pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. “Just as long as he gets your eyes.”

“Why? I like your eyes.”

“Because hazel is more unique.”

She opened her eyes and twisted to face him. “No, it isn’t. Your eyes remind me of the way the shadows dance when you Step.”

“And yours change hue depending on your mood and your outfit.”

She huffed and settled back against him. “Fine. You know what?”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t care what he looks like. He’s our child, so it doesn’t matter. He’ll be beautiful no matter what.”

“True.” He boosted her off his lap and turned her to face him. “You know what else?”

She bit her lip. “No. What?”

“You have once again managed to make me happier than I’ve ever been. Thank you.”

A smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “And you have made me a very happy woman.”

He smirked. “We’ll see if you’re still saying that in a few more months when he’s kicking. If he’s anything like me, it’ll be one bumpy ride. According to my mother, I was the most active of the three of us, and she said I caused her the most pain.”

Banach rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the warning. Let’s hope he’s tamer than you.”

“He’s my son. I should hope he isn’t. He’ll be ruling this kingdom when I’m gone.”

“All the same, I’m still happy. Other women have told me the pain pales in comparison to the feeling of joy that comes when you hold them for the first time.”

“I hope so.” He pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist. “Now that we know what’s going on, you’re not to stress yourself out. I want—”

Banach returned to her seat with a smirk. “You’d better not try to lock me in our room or put me on bed-rest. Ranwen says I’m to engage in moderate exercise and get plenty of fresh air.”

He looked like he wanted to protest. Of course he did. He worried about her too much. But she wasn’t going to do anything to endanger herself or the baby. She’d do what Ranwen told her to, and she’d take care of them both. Rith stared at her with a sigh. “And I suppose that if I don’t cooperate, you’ll sic Ranwen on me?”

“Precisely.” Her smile softened, and she reached out to clasp his hand in hers. “Don’t worry. I’ll rest and take care of myself. And you’ll be around to help when I need you. Even when I don’t, I’m sure.”

He squeezed her hand with a grin. “As always.”

She sighed in mock exasperation. But deep down, she couldn’t be happier. They had a baby on the way, and she had a husband who would make a wonderful father. No matter what happened, she knew she’d be able to rely on him. She might not know anything about mothering, but she knew a lot about what not to do from observation. She’d learn the rest in time. Hopefully the baby would forgive her mistakes when he grew up. She rested her hand on her abdomen and resumed lunch with a smile on her face. Things would work out just as they should.

~~~

And that’s it for this week, everybody! I hope you enjoyed seeing a little more of this particular couple. Even if they are a bit sappy. If you have any feedback on this flash fiction Friday or a suggestion for a future flash-fiction, feel free to leave your responses in the comments below. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!

Have a great weekend!

In Darkness Lost Book Information

Ariel Paiement

Blurb:

The country of Argent teeters on the edge of disaster, and war looms over them when eighteen-year-old Dairdra is thrown into the role of Queen. As she watches her world crumbling around her, she must decide whether to stand up in the position of Queen or to flee the troubles around her and appoint a regent.

Meanwhile, her Royal Mage, who has sworn to protect her, must decide between his sister and his loyalty to his Queen. He can divulge the knowledge he has to his Queen and save her kingdom whilst dooming his own sister, or he can save his sister and perhaps cost Dairdra her life. Can he save his sister and his Queen while surviving the coming storm?

The fate of the war is in their hands, but will they be able to stand together to come out of this war victorious? Only time will tell.

About the Book:

In Darkness Lost is intended for ages twelve and up. Younger children could read it, though some of the story might go over their heads depending on what their reading comprehension level is.

There are a few kissing scenes, but no inappropriate touching is involved as my goal was to provide a book that both the older and younger teens would enjoy and be comfortable with. My goal was to provide fantasy that parents could allow their children to read without fear that questionable content would result in issues.

The only other content some parents may object to is the use of magic or the violence. When it comes to the violence, I wrote it with a YA audience in mind, so it isn’t overly gory and is comparable to what you might find in books like Ranger’s Apprentice or other similar books.

If you have further questions I haven’t answered here, please feel free to leave them in the comments for me! I’ll be happy to answer them as best I can.

Book Links

Paperback: Amazon

Ebook: Amazon (Coming to Kobo sometime in December)

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #15

Ariel Paiement

This week, on Work-In-Progress Wednesdays, I have an excerpt from Pathway of the Moon. In this selection, Leo arrives at the Ishtralian camp with Alrian and Deira in tow, and he’s greeted by his nemesis, Ishtralian leader Kiarhsu Kashal.

~~~

LEO stared at Kiarhsu Kashal for a long moment. How long had it been since he’d last seen the man? Not long enough. Eternity wouldn’t be long enough. His magic snarled inside og him. Reacting to the other man’s presence, no doubt. Even after all this time, it still did that.

“You got my message.” Kiarhsu glanced at Amadeira and Alrian with a snaky smile. “And who are these lovely women? I don’t recall asking you to bring a tribute in return for your pardon and welcome home.”

As if he’d have brought one even if Kiarhsu had demanded it. His hands clenched tighter on the reins. “My ward and my wife. Not a tribute, I’m afraid.”

“I didn’t realize you’d taken a wife. Or a ward.”

“There are many things you don’t know, Kashal.”

“True.” Kiarhsu waved to a boy nearby. “Kestrel will feed and water your mounts. You and I have some catching up to do. Bring your women.”

Alrian made a low noise somewhere between a snarl and a hiss. Leo shot her a warning look. She’d dragged him into this mess. She could play by his rules now so they wouldn’t be executed outright for being spies. She gave him a mulish frown, but she didn’t say anything or act out.

“She objects to being called your woman?”

Leo looked back to Kiarhsu to find him staring at Alrian with a bemused smile. Not good. He’d seen that look before. It just meant Kiarhsu was mulling over the newest bit of information for a way to use it. “My ward isn’t accustomed to our lifestyle. She’s still learning. I had to give her more freedom than I usually would in Kier. You know how the chapter there is.”

Kiarhsu’s upper lip curled. “Yes. Soft.”

“Precisely. I’m sure she’ll fall in line with some time in this place under my strict discipline. A little time on a tight leash will whip her into shape.” His gut twisted even as he said the words. They sounded like something his father would say. He wanted to wash out his mouth, but he knew it wouldn’t wash away the sense that he was dirty.

“I’m sure it will.” Kiarhsu’s sharp gaze landed on him, pierced through him.

Leo dismounted and went to help Amadeira down from her horse. He probably shouldn’t show any public affection toward her, but he couldn’t help it. He needed her near so he could be sure she was safe. He’d hoped she wouldn’t be here at all, but now that she was exposed, the protectiveness welled up so strongly that he had to resist the urge to hide her away behind him until he could lock her in whatever tent they were confined to.

“A little attached, aren’t we? Newly-wed?”

“Yes.”

“No marks?”

“They didn’t end up in an obvious place for us.”

“Ah. Well, marks or no, you know no one will take her without your permission. There’s no need to worry for her safety with the men in camp.”

“I’m well-aware of their respect for the property of others, and that doesn’t worry me.” It did, but he wasn’t about to let Kiarhsu know that. Bad enough that the man knew any of his weaknesses without giving him another.

Kiarhsu smirked. “Then why are you attached at the hip in public like this? Makes you seem weak. No self-respecting Ishtralian man clings to his wife’s skirts.”

Amadeira’s grip on him tightened, and Alrian’s hand went to her hip where her sword had hung. But he had that packed away now. If they were attacked, his powers were the only ones likely to keep them all alive. Kiarhsu noted both movements with a wry smile. “You give your ward weapons, I see. But not your wife. Interesting.”

Leo gritted his teeth. “Can we please go inside? I’d like to sit down and talk in private.”

“I’m sure you would. The trip was tiring, I take it?”

“Very.”

“Well, this way, then.” Kiarhsu gestured for him to go first.

“After you. It’s been a while.”

“Surely not so long that you’ve forgotten the way to your family’s cabin?”

Leo eyed him. He wouldn’t forget the way to that place for as long as he lived. And the glint in Kiarhsu’s eye told him the other man knew it too. He shouldered his pack with a smile. “Of course not. Is that where we’re staying?”

“I thought it would be best if you did. It hasn’t been occupied since you left. A pity your mother couldn’t come too. Is she too frail for commune life?”

“Afraid so.” Leo took Amadeira’s hand in his and tugged her forward. “Well, let’s go then.” Might as well get this over with sooner rather than later.

~~~

That’s it for this week, everyone. Have something you’d like to share? Feel free to leave it in the comments below! I’d love to hear about whatever you’re currently working on too.

Saturday Setups: Building Societies – Culture-Unique Factors

Ariel Paiement

Introduction

Last time, we discussed how location impacts the societies you’re building for your world. This week, on Saturday Setup, we’re going to talk about how culture-unique factors can also affect your world and its societies. Culture has a very obvious impact on society, one that most of us probably understand more readily than we do the idea of location playing a role. So, let’s dive in. This one won’t be as long since we probably all have some basic level of understanding of the subject.

Culture’s Role in Developing Society

Each society has different rules and structures. We all intuitively know that the things we’re able to say or do in the US, say, versus the things we can do and say in Japan without being rude vary a great deal. Why is this? Well, it’s largely due to culture. How we were raised and what our culture says is acceptable, whether right or wrong, has a lot to do with what we do and don’t do.

It can affect a lot of things about a society, such as how people dress, what they eat, and what they can or can’t say. It even can result in changes in how different genders or age groups relate to each other. Some cultures in real life have a society where younger children and women don’t get much say or aren’t to question a man’s authority in public (sometimes even in private). Other cultures are much more open and allow for behavior in women and children that would be seen as horrifying and rebellious in a stricter culture. So what your society’s culture is and what it has been built around greatly affects what will and will not pass in your society.

Culture’s Role in the Legal System

Depending on how diverse your sub-cultures are within a culture and depending on the governmental structure, your legal system could be affected by the culture. Think about the US, for example. Here, we have things like southern culture or inner city culture, and we just know the difference when we see a person from one of those sub-cultures. There’s a difference in beliefs, in appearance (sometimes), and in behavior. What one sub-culture finds acceptable may not be okay in the other. This comes out in how those two sub-cultures vote, deal with legal matters, and make judgment calls on law. If those people are in positions of power, they may have even more ability to sway things in favor of their sub-culture than a normal person would. Again, this depends on the governmental system, which we’ll talk about later on. But for now, understand that what you set up for culture and sub-culture within your society matters. It will affect your government and legal system to some extent, and it pays off to consider this if the government or legal system will factor into your story in any important way.

Culture’s Role in the Home

This is the last one we’ll discuss because it should have a bearing no matter what story you’re telling. Everyone has some sort of family or upbringing, and culture definitely plays heavily on this one. Your culture will make all the difference on how your parents dealt with issues of disobedience, training you, and teaching you right from wrong, among other things. The same goes for a fictional world. Who your characters are as children, parents, and just as adults in their society will be shaped largely by how they grew up, and their culture affects this.

Take some time to consider what your society’s beliefs are. How do those beliefs impact what they think about raising children? About marriage? About the home in general? Your fictional society will also have a set of beliefs that dictates these things. People may go outside of them, follow them, or bend them, but they’re there within the culture. There is some sort of norm that people look to when judging whether or not a family is normal or abnormal. That’s just how humans work. We categorize things, and we constantly want to see if those we’re around and we ourselves fit the mold. This isn’t any different. So consider your world’s culture carefully on this matter. It’s going to change a lot about each society you create.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you can see that culture affects much about daily life for societies. It’s important and shouldn’t be ignored. Many things in world-building can be skimped on or ignored entirely if they’re not needed for the story. But if you want a world that feels authentic, don’t ignore this aspect. It gives each society featured in your story its own, unique flavor, and that’s absolutely vital to creating a believable world where the reader’s suspension of belief isn’t destroyed.

As usual, if you have other ways that you’ve used culture in world-building, feel free to share it in the comments below! I’d love to hear about it. Have a question? Leave those in the comments below too. If you have a suggestion for a future topic you’d like to hear about, I’d love to hear that too. You can send it to me at arielpaiement@gmail.com. If it’s something I can cover, you may see it sometime in the future on the blog!

Flash Fiction Friday – Equinox Queen

Ariel Paiement

This week, I’ve got a flash fiction post that gives a glimpse into the lives of Leo’s parents before he was born. This takes place just after Leo’s father won Anne in the Equinox Hunt. The piece does contain some mild content that makes it best for those 13 and up. Nothing is shown or described. Just some mentions of violence and assault, but I know some readers may not be comfortable with this.

~~~

Anne ducked her head and watched the festivities go on around her. She’d tried her best not to end up here. But it hadn’t been good enough. She’d still lost, and now she was his. His wife. His trophy. Caladhor’s gaze roved over her, bringing with it reminders of the violence in the forest. Why hadn’t she run harder, faster?

She dropped her attention to her lap, refused to give him the satisfaction of her focus. He’d taken everything from her, just like the slavers had. Oh, he promised her that life would be better now that she was his. But she knew it wouldn’t be.

She knew what really went on behind closed doors. The tent walls were thin in the encampment. And no woman ever stayed completely silent when being forced. Even if she knew no help was coming. Instinct demanded that they at least try.

And she’d tried.

The men streamed up to their table, congratulated Caladhor, and leered at her. She shrank back in her seat. Caladhor didn’t rebuke them for their openly lustful gazes, but he also didn’t encourage it. Would he let them have her if they asked? Other women had suffered that fate after being crowned the Equinox Queen. If her King wasn’t pleased with her, he might loan her out to other men until she learned to please him as demanded. Ann bit her lip. Most women who were placed in that situation didn’t make it.

She stole a glance at Caladhor. He met her darting gaze with a wolfish smile and raised his wine glass to her. She stared down at her hands where they rested in her lap. Her fingers trembled, and her stomach flipped. What would he do to her if she didn’t please him?

“You look miserable.”

Her head snapped up. “W-what?”

“You look miserable.” Caladhor crossed his arms, nodded to a few passerbys who congratulated him. “You’ve been given one of the highest honors a woman of Ishtral can gain, but you look like someone has sentenced you to death.”

She turned her head away and choked back a sob. What did he expect? She had less freedom here than she’d had as a slave before Kiarhsu bought her, forced her to become a part of the Argosian chapter of Ishtral. Things had seemed better until Caladhor and other men started taking interest.

“What’s wrong, then? Not me, certainly.” He snorted. “You’re now the first wife of one of the elite of Ishtral. You’ll never want for anything.”

Except freedom. Affection. Tenderness. Everything that mattered in life. She gritted her teeth, and her fingers curled into fists.

“Answer me.” His voice deepened, threatened violence if she didn’t obey.

Tipping her head up, she turned to look at him. “How could you think this is an honor? I’m more a slave than ever before.”

“Nonsense. You’re going to be given the best the world can offer. I’m a generous man, Anne.”

What was his definition of generous? Certainly not hers.

“You don’t believe me. But I can be. If you’re good, if you do what you’re told, I’ll give you anything you desire. Anything at all. Even if you ask to keep any daughters you bear me. I’ll grant that wish too.”

Generous, for an Ishtralian. Girls were pawns at best and chattel at worst as far as Ishtralians were concerned. She narrowed her eyes. Was he serious? Or was he simply saying it to placate her? “I thought girls were useless burdens.”

“Not in my position. I can afford them, and I can get a high price from whoever wishes to wed our daughters.”

That was it then. She stiffened. It always went back to the money with him. Their daughters might be well-groomed, but they’d still be no better than property. She lowered her head again to head the tears welling up in her eyes. What had she done to anger the gods so greatly? Why would they allow such awful things to happen to her? To the world?

The events of the evening ran through her mind like cold water. She trembled as the festivities continued and more and more couples broke away from the fire to find their beds. Soon, she’d spend her wedding night with Caladhor. If the rough handling in the forest was any indicator, it wouldn’t be a good night.

A tear slipped down her cheek, and she closed her eyes with a deep breath. This was life now. She’d just have to make the best of it and hope for an escape. Maybe if she bore a son for Caladhor, he’d leave her alone. It was a long shot, but it was better than nothing.

She wiped away the tears when Caladhor wasn’t looking and squared her shoulders. There was no other choice. She would endure, and she would fight in the shadows to make sure that her children never became a monster like the one sitting beside her. She would wage war in her own way and pray that it would close in freedom or death.

Because if she couldn’t have her freedom, she would rather not live at all.

~~~

That’s all for this week! If you enjoyed it or would like to comment on it, please leave your feedback in the comments below. Have suggestions or things you’d like to see in future Flash Fiction Fridays? Leave those in the comments too!

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #14

Ariel Paiement

I’m really excited to announce that On Anarchy’s Wings is officially completed! There’s just another few chapters to post on Wattpad and Inkitt before the second book in The Chronicles of Eclesia trilogy is done. The next one will be started at some point when I’ve finished Pathway of the Moon and Trader Prince of Aleshtain: Book 2 of The Legends of Alcardia series. So, in honor of On Anarchy’s Wings’ completion, today’s work-in-progress Wednesday is an excerpt from the book for the last time!

~~~

LAKESH crawled to his feet and winced at the charred, ripping sensation rippling over his back. Even though he’d seen the blast coming and had portalled away in time to evade most of it, he’d still been burned by the cursed Light. So had his Third. And he had fewer healing capabilities, so Lakesh wasn’t even sure the other would pull through. Hopefully he would. In no way did Lakesh want to be stuck on this blasted planet alone. Misery loved company, and he would stick by that saying religiously. If he were human, he might feel bad about dragging his companion into this. After all, it wasn’t as if the other Korithel had asked to end up in this situation. But Lakesh wasn’t human.

He dragged his Third to his feet and snorted. “You’re a sorry mess.”

Taresh groaned and tried to bat his hands away. “Would you let me go? I swear, you’ll rip all the skin off my shoulders and back if you keep this up. And we’re not likely to get any help healing any time soon.”

“Good point.” He dropped Taresh. “Gods, this light is killing me.”

“Same. We’re going to have to go to the outer edges of the habital zones on this planet to stay alive until Ianabha can send us reinforcements.” Taresh sighed. “I hate this place.”

Lakesh smirked and crossed his arms, ignoring the peeling, tearing that sparked along his back. “Don’t worry. Soon enough, those who did this will pay. His sycophants won’t get away with this.”

“Not if Ianabha has any say.” Taresh began plodding toward the horizon with a stifled hiss. “Going to take her forever to get back to us though. Can you even communicate through the link?”

“Not right now. I tried when I woke up. That deplorable Light has blocked up my communicators, and after the frying my back took, every bit of my energy is going toward healing. It’s easing some though.” He caught up with his friend. “You?”

Taresh shook his head.

“Your healing working okay?”

A grimace this time.

Heat surged in Lakesh’s veins, and bitterness mixed with spice washed over his tongue. He glanced over at his Third. “They will pay, Taresh. Save the anger up for when it’ll actually be useful. Got it?”

Taresh nodded but still didn’t speak. Perhaps it pained him. His breathing didn’t sound quite right. Lakesh stared at the sun where it was dipping below the horizon. At least the night was coming fast. They would travel faster without the light making them sicker than they were. He clenched his fists at his sides. When he got his hands on those who had been His channel, he was going to show them suffering unlike anything they’d ever known. That he swore.

A storm was coming, and they would know the darkness in a way few ever could. If Ianabha didn’t make certain of that, he would. A tight smile stretched on his lips. Not one of those Formosians would survive the tidal wave unleashed. Someday soon, they would reach the end of the line, and he would be there, waiting.

~~~

I can’t tell you guys how ecstatic I am about finally finishing this book. The idea was conceived years ago when I finished the very first draft of On Twilight’s Wings, but I never got around to it. The book itself, once I started, began in the planning stages in March and ended the writing process for the draft this month.

All told, it took me roughly six months to write the whole thing, and it has totaled in at 95,135 words. Just about 5,000 shy of the 100,000 word count I anticipated. So the book’s a pretty decent length despite only having 20 chapters all together.

At any rate, I’m pretty happy to have finished the second book. I loved the story and planning it, as well as writing it. I’m sure the third book will be just as much fun, and it’s definitely going to be the grand finale of all the tension and chaos that has been building since book one. I’ll talk more about the book when I’m actually ready to start posting chapters.

For now, the work-in-progress Wednesdays posts will focus solely on Pathway of the Moon and Trader Prince of Aleshtain from PotM’s companion series. (I’m lazy and don’t feel like typing out the titles fully, so I’m going to abbreviate.) TPoA is the sequel to Bane of Ashkarith in terms of order in which the series has been written, but it is actually prior to the events of BoA in the timeline. PotM comes after both books by several hundred years.

But anyway, that’s all for this week, you all! What have you guys been up to? This week was a bit of a longer post just because I finished up a project. Has anyone else finished anything up? Or maybe are you getting close to finishing?

If not, don’t feel left out! I’ve got current projects going that are nowhere close to done. You’re not alone on that. If that’s you, what have you been working on recently?

Sunday Sub-genres: Contemporary Fantasy

Ariel Paiement

This week, on Sunday Sub-Genres, we’re looking at Contemporary Fantasy. We actually already discussed one of the sub-genres of Contemporary Fantasy in this article on Urban Fantasy. But this week, let’s look at the sub-genre that started Urban Fantasy.

Defining Contemporary Fantasy

Contemporary fantasy is fantasy that’s set in the time period of the writer. For those of us writing today, it would be present time. For those who wrote contemporary fantasy in the past, it would’ve been whatever was modern day for them.

The key with contemporary fantasy, much like with urban fantasy, is that the magical elements and creatures are very rarely seen or understood as such. They live hidden in the shadows of our world or spill into our world from alternate worlds not known to the general populace. This distinctive take on magic is the hallmark of contemporary and urban fantasy both, which is easy to understand since urban fantasy branched off from contemporary fantasy in the first place.

Of note is the fact that the setting for contemporary fantasy does not have to be in a city or the outskirts of one like urban fantasy does. In fact, often the only thing that makes something urban fantasy instead of contemporary is a city setting instead of a place that isn’t city or suburb.

Writing Urban Fantasy

Secret Worlds

One of the tricks with contemporary (also known as modern) fantasy is that the world of the fantastical is a secret. Somehow, it has managed to operate under the radar so that few, if any, humans know about it. How this works is something that each individual author must determine. But there must be an explanation, otherwise our suspense of belief or our willingness to accept things that we wouldn’t otherwise accept will be severely challenged.

There are many ways authors go about achieving this. You have methods like Cassandra Clare’s Immortal Instruments where the creatures disguise themselves as human or are able to cloak themselves from human eyes altogether. Other authors have utilized alternate worlds.

I myself am a fan of mixing the two and using both the element of disguise and the idea of travel between different realms to keep the mortal humans in novels from discovering the world of the fantastical.

These are all valid options, and what you choose to do is up to you and the story you want to tell. But before you do anything else, you should decide how this very key element of your story will work. Everything else hinges on this.

Systems of Magic

At some point, I’ll have an entire article that goes into this subject because it’s detailed and has many caveats to it. But for now, let’s just say that there are plenty of options available to choose from for your system. What you do is, once again, entirely up to you. But what you choose will also depend on the first element you discussed because how you keep things hushed up when funny, magical stuff happens will define, to some extent, what sort of magic you can have.

After all, it’s kind of hard to cover up two giants in the sky throwing lightning bolts at each other if a bunch of people see it and take pictures. Unless you have some explanation for how no one would see that or understand what was going on, this sort of possibility in your magic system just won’t fly.

So spend some time working out how magic works. Even if it’s hidden, it’s still going to be an undercurrent, or even a pivotal piece, in how your world operates. Just because it’s under the radar doesn’t mean it isn’t important.

Creatures and Mythology

Inevitably, modern or contemporary fantasy authors seem to want to include werewolves, vampires, and the rest of that crew. While there’s nothing wrong with this, if your story is going to feature them, you need to define them. I think, after seeing the myriad of supernatural shows and books that cropped up both before and after Twilight, we all understand that no one has exactly the same take on vampires, werewolves, or really any supernatural creature. So make sure you’re clear about what your creatures are and are not up front.

Along with this, the idea of including gods and mythology in contemporary fantasy has become more and more popular over the years. There’s not something that’s necessarily wrong with this, but it does raise a few questions. If they’re there for name recognition only, it’s probably not a big deal. But if they’re going to be a main part of the story, you have to start asking yourself if they really need to be there and, if they do, why they don’t just solve all the problems. If you’re going to include them, you’d better answer these two questions. Otherwise, you may run into some serious problems with these types of characters.

Conclusion

Contemporary or modern fantasy can be a lot of fun for writers. It allows them to bring fantasy into a setting they know best: the modern world all around them. Often, it also allows them to use places or settings that are near and dear to their hearts, making the locations in the book that much more real and vivid.

I’ve given you just a few of the things you need to think about when starting into contemporary fantasy, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg of what you could go into when planning or working on modern fantasy. I encourage you to keep exploring. Read some of the books listed below to get a better grasp on the genre and what’s possible with it, and spend some time looking into how to write it if you’re just starting out.

Whatever you do, don’t be afraid to give it a try! It might be exactly the thing for you. And if not, that’s okay. You learned something new about yourself.

If you have suggestions for contemporary fantasy novels, please feel free to leave it in the comments! If it isn’t clean or YA-appropriate, please mark it as such so younger readers or parents looking for books for their children know to steer clear.

Have another tip for writing contemporary fantasy that I didn’t cover? Share that in the comments too! I’d love to see what those of you who frequently (or even not-so-frequently) have learned about writing in this sub-genre.

Further Reading and Resources

As always, I mark things that aren’t appropriate for younger audiences with a note on the age level (if it isn’t 18+) and one star. If I haven’t read it yet, I mark it with two stars so everyone knows I’m not necessarily recommending the content for younger readers.

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series

**Neil Gaiman’s American Gods

**Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files

Ransom Riggs’ Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (There’s a movie adaptation of this now, I believe, and it was pretty good. Suitable for pre-teens and teens. As far as I know, the book is also good. It’s YA.)

Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

Cassandra Clare’s City of Bones (This is also considered urban fantasy since it takes place in New York and Brooklyn.)

Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are (This is one that’s actually suitable for little kids. It’s a kids’ picture book.)

C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time

Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series (If your younger readers like adventure and genius kids, this is a great series for them. It was, and honestly still is, one of my favorite children’s and juvenile fiction series.)

Flash Fiction Fridays: Warrior Queen

Ariel Paiement

Hey, everyone! I’m back this week with another Flash Fiction Friday. This week’s flash fiction focuses on Yuldha, the young Queen of Elventar, as she faces the oncoming army from Aleshtain. Determined not to let them take what is hers and her people’s, she stands in defense of their capital city.

~~~

Yuldha leaned over the parapet of the stone wall, squinting at the oncoming hoard. They’d be here in less than ten minutes. She pushed herself away from the edge of the wall and retreated. Close enough for archers to get a lucky shot. Wouldn’t that make King Myranor happy? The lucky archer who got a shot on her would be rewarded handsomely. Assuming Myranor was in a mood to have her dead instead of alive.

She pressed her back against the cool stone of the walkway’s back wall. Who knew what his mood would be? Really, what had the king expected? That she, Queen of a realm who hated his with an eternal passion, would accept his offer? Wed him and hand over the kingdom his ancestors had been trying to fell for centuries? She glared out across the plains. The man was a fool.

“My Lady, please come down from there! The archers are within range, and the men await your orders.”

Yuldha glanced down at the stairs leading into the keep. Her glare faded, and the corners of her mouth twitched up in a smile. “You worry too much, Lord Trydan.”

Trydan grinned. “It’s my job as the Matriarch’s Sword, my Lady.”

She wrinkled her nose. “You shouldn’t call yourself by your official title.”

“Why not?” He raised a brow. “Would you prefer some other title?”

Her heart skipped a beat, and she offered him an indulgent smile. Ever persistent in his advances. She had to admire that. And she wasn’t going to lie. His flirtatious manner warmed her, particularly since she was the only one on the receiving end. She flipped her braid over her shoulder and stalked to the stairs. A Queen still had to keep up pretenses. She couldn’t act the innocent maiden or starry-eyed damsel with anyone. Not in public, at least. “Of course not. It would go to your head, Dhan.”

He laughed and offered her a hand down the last few steps. “I’m sure you’d keep me in my place, Yul.”

She shot him a glare. “You’re not to call me that in public. You know that.”

“Why not?” The playful smirk replaced the warm smile.

She squeezed his hand until he hissed and looked away. “Because I said so. You shouldn’t need me to explain to you how it looks for Elventar’s warrior queen to lower her guard for a mere man.”

He wrinkled his nose. “I’m not just any man, Yul,” he murmured.

“We’re in a war, Trydan.” Heat flooded her, belying the ice she’d imbued in her tone. “I don’t have time to be weak. And after what that Rith-cursed savage pulled, I’m not inclined to consider anyone.”

He squeezed her hand in return, but the pressure was gentle and comforting. “Someday you will be. You’re too strong to let him ruin you for love, my warrior Queen.”

She tugged her hand from his grasp even though she wanted to leave it there, to let him comfort her and tell her everything would be fine. Well, there was time enough for that later. If they survived this battle. She strode ahead, leaving Dhan behind to consider his words and her obvious cold shoulder. If he still chased after her, maybe—and that was a big maybe—she’d consider it. After all, if Elventar survived this siege—and she was determined it would—her line would need to continue somehow. Dhan was a good choice. Her lips curved up in a fierce smile.

Her soldiers snapped to attention as she stalked into the open courtyard. She waited as they saluted and greeted her, hands thumping to their chests over their hearts. In response, she bowed, silently showing her respect for their unspoken vow of protection. Then she straightened and met their gazes. “Men and women of Elventar, today we fight. Let’s show Aleshtain they can’t have our home no matter what they try!”

The men and women roared their approval, slamming the butts of spears to the ground or rattling swords against spears. She smiled, resting a hand on the sword sheathed at her hip. King Myranor was going to rue the day he ever crossed her. He thought he could barge in here and take her and her kingdom by force? Well, she’d show him what happened to those dumb enough to try.

~~~

That’s it for this Friday, folks! I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you enjoyed this week’s flash fiction or have anything you’d like to ask, feel free to drop it in the comments below.

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #13

Ariel Paiement

This week, I’m sharing a part of an anthology piece I’ve been working on with a few author friends of mine. The piece is a historical fantasy short story about two characters that will feature in a prequel series to The Gate Chronicles.

The Gate Chronicles were the first books where I started exploring the concept of Gates or Pathways. The books will, at some point, receive a serious edit and re-work, but before that, I plan to focus more on the prequel and the other series I have going. For now, let’s take a look at the short anthology piece! This selection is from the opening scene.

~~~

RAIN began to drizzle down when Alantha pulled her horse to a stop in front of a run-down inn. A carriage rumbled up behind her as she slid off her horse, struggling not to collapse under the sudden weight of her soaked skirts. She knew she probably shouldn’t have hiked her skirts up to ride astride when a side-saddle was more appropriate, but she’d wanted to feel the wind in her face and the horse’s powerful body rippling beneath her. Was that so wrong? Every once in a while, surely she was allowed to have a bit of controlled freedom. Always controlled, but freedom, nonetheless. Her version, anyway.

She’d come here looking for an escape from her broken heart and the feelings she didn’t want to acknowledge, whatever her sister said about how unhealthy it was. Alantha didn’t want to feel anything. Didn’t want to be disappointed in Zeke for leaving instead of trying to change. Didn’t want to mourn the broken dreams of a love match that Lord Trevain’s insanity had ground into dust. And for about an hour before the rain had come pouring down, she’d found it.

She tied the horse to a nearby rail and undid the cinch on his saddle. It was heavy work for a lady, but she was no lady despite the station her sister’s marriage had acquired for them, so what did it matter? Footfalls splashed through the puddles on the cobblestones from a recent storm that had washed through before this one. That storm was responsible for her soaked garments. She glanced down at her clothes with a sigh. Why the blazes had she worn this pastel pink blouse and baby blue skirt today? Not only did it defy her mood, but now that it was drenched, it was most definitely not appropriate. Curse it all! She didn’t even have a jacket. She’d have to use the horse’s blanket. Hopefully—

“Miss?”

She jumped, nearly whacked the horse’s rump with the saddle as she spun. Her foot slipped on a moss-covered cobblestone at the edge of the inn’s small paddock, and she dropped the saddle at the man’s feet before tumbling unceremoniously onto her bum in the mud of the pasture. Wonderful. That would ruin her skirts entirely. Maybe even her chemise. She could feel the cold mud oozing through her garments and soaking clear through to her unmentionables.

The man stared down at her passively, his amber eyes calm. At least he had the good sense not to laugh. Or to stare at her inappropriately given her state of undress.

Alantha struggled to her feet and tried to brush the mud off the back of her skirts. Her hands came away coated in mud with her skirt not a bit cleaner for it. Well, forget it, then. It was no use trying to fix it now. She pulled the horse’s blanket out from beneath the saddle and wrapped it around her shoulders with a huff. “What do you want?”

A flare of amusement did enter his gaze then. Strange man. “I saw you struggling with the horse, and I thought I would offer assistance. But I see you already have it handled.”

Her jaw clenched. “Do not mock me, sir. Had you not scared the life out of me, I would not have had any issues at all.”

He stepped closer and raised a brow. “Oh? I apologize if I frightened you so badly, though you still seem rather lively to me.”

Despite the rain, her cheeks flushed with heat. And she was annoyed to discover that the heat was the result of both a visceral reaction to his closeness and frustration at his obvious mockery of her situation. This man knew nothing about her. What right did he have to behave this way? To play the rake with a woman he knew nothing of was simply not something that should be done. It defied logic, after all. “I think, sir, that your companion is waiting for you.”

He glanced over his shoulder at the other man standing in the doorway of the inn with a mulish expression on his face. “Ah. Never mind about Cassius. He’s as empty-headed as his name would imply.”

Wasn’t that a bit rude? She crossed her arms and clutched the blanket closer as he continued to stand only inches away. The rain came down harder in that moment, but she couldn’t miss the shout from the man in the doorway. “I heard that, Bram.”

“You were meant to, Cassius.” He didn’t take his eyes off her. “Here, let me help you with the saddle. And we’d better get the horse turned out into the paddock.”

She bit her lip. How had Cassius heard that? Bram hadn’t spoken loudly enough for someone to hear him from a few yards, let alone from the inn’s doorstep. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

What was she supposed to do? Logic dictated that she should accept his help. After all, she couldn’t easily put the horse out to pasture and stow the saddle out of the rain if she had to keep this blanket around her to keep herself decent. And now that there were men around, decency wasn’t something she planned on throwing to the wind. Lady or not, she had some sense of propriety. You just couldn’t parade about with your underclothes clearly visible through your blouse and skirt. It simply wasn’t done.

But even though she knew logic said that, the irrational part of her brain wanted to run from this man, screaming at the top of her lungs if possible. She didn’t know why. Aside from a serious inability to understand personal space, he hadn’t done anything wrong. He’d actually been quite kind. Surprisingly. Men were mulish beasts, from what she could see. The ones who weren’t tended to be fops or too weak-willed to assert themselves, in any case. This man didn’t seem to be either.

“No, I don’t think it will be.” He frowned at the horse. “Your gelding needs to be able to move around to make sure he stays warm enough. He won’t be happy tied to a post like this. And he needs feed. There’s a barn around the corner. If you’d prefer I put him there for you. And we can’t leave your saddle in the rain.”

A frown furrowed her brow. “You know this area well, sir?”

A slow smile spread over his lips. “You might say that. I live in the mansion a few feet up the road.”

~~~

Well, that’s it for this week! You guys know the drill. If you would like to give feedback or share parts of your own works-in-progress, feel free to do so in the comments. I’d love to see what you all are up to.

Saturday Setup: Building Societies – Location Factors

Ariel Paiement

Introduction

We’re finished with the mapping section of the world-building discussion, so now we’re going to look at building societies and the factors that go into that! The mapping you did in the previous sections will come into play here, so if you haven’t read those articles yet, you’ll want to do so and come back to this.

This week’s discussion centers on the location factors that shape a society. We touched on this briefly in the global mapping sector, but now we’re going to take a closer look because location plays a big role in what kind of society is built there.

Location’s Role in Societal Structure

Yes, location can play a role in the structure of your society or culture. If the place your cultural group is located forces them to be hunters and gatherers, then the society may develop as a male-dominant society because, usually, the men tend to be the ones hunting and providing for the women and children.

If the infrastructure of the location has allowed the society to develop into more of a farming and trading setup, things might be more even because women (unless government or family structure dictates otherwise) are capable of doing various jobs or working alongside the men. They aren’t as reliant upon their guy to provide. It doesn’t mean that they won’t. It just means that things will probably be more even with the two parties acting as partners instead of one dictating everything.

Lots of other things can affect the way your societal structure develops here, but location and what is available to shape the people’s way of life will have some influence on this as well.

Location’s Role in Dress and Daily Life

The way location plays a role in these is probably more obvious. If your environment is a steamy jungle, you’re not going to dress like an Eskimo. The reverse is also true. No one in an arctic environment is going to go out wearing a loincloth or cotton shift. It just doesn’t end well. So where the society is located will dictate how they dress.

It also dictates daily life. As I mentioned above, some societies might be set-up for hunting and gathering while others may be focused on trade and agriculture. These two ways of life are very different and result in very different average days for the people living those lives. Knowing what type of location you have and what impact it makes on lifestyle is extremely important because it’s going to determine a lot about a character coming out of that culture.

Location’s Role in Shaping Characters

This one very directly relates to your story. The skill sets of your characters will depend to a large degree upon where they live. If they’ve never lived anywhere with snow or ice, they’re probably not going to know how to ski or how one might go about tracking in the snow. On the flip side, someone who never lived in a jungle environment wouldn’t know how to gather food, figure out what plants were edible or poisonous, or find clean water.

Not only that, since location shapes the culture they grow up with, the things they’re taught and what they feel is appropriate or inappropriate will vary accordingly.

Characters from temperate or cold zones might look as a character who dresses in nearly see-through cotton dresses as being either crazy or scandalous because they would never wear anything like that, even inside out of the cold. The character from the warmer climates would look at the character from a cold zone and think the same thing about some of their traditions and manners.

This is something that’s important to consider as you’re building the society. Make note of places where cultures will differ and might clash. By taking these notes now as you build the necessary cultures or societies, you’ll lessen your work later when you build characters from those places. You’ll already know what basic things they should think are right and wrong, strange or normal, and crazy or sane just based on the culture they’re from.

Location’s Effect on Infrastructure

This is another place where location has a big impact. Living in a zone prone to tornadoes will necessitate infrastructure that is much different from a society that deals with sandstorms.

The main thing to think about here is what the location’s climate is like and what kind of weather might be endured. From there, determine what kinds of features the buildings and structures of the society might have developed to deal with this.

Places that endure terrible storms might end up building houses that are squat and low with slanted rooftops to help with wind-resistance. But a place that deals with constant flooding might build their houses up on stilts to keep the lower levels from being flooded every time it rains.

These are just a few ways that infrastructure might be adapted for location. Take time to figure out what your societies’ infrastructures need to look like for their locations.

Conclusion

As you can see, location impacts a great deal about the society you end up building there. Considering these factors will help you to avoid inconsistency or lack of believability later on in your story.

Do you have other thoughts on how location can affect the societies built there? If so, feel free to share those in the comments!